It means the speaker is saying they started work, then checked the money after receiving responsibility from the previous person. In plain English, “following handover” suggests they took over the cash or shift from someone else and then counted the cash on hand to verify the amount matches what should be there.

In context

A natural interpretation is:

  • they arrived at work,
  • took over from the outgoing staff member,
  • counted the cash,
  • and checked finances to confirm everything balanced after the transfer of responsibility.

What “cash present” implies

“Cash present” means the actual physical money available at that moment, such as in a till, cash drawer, or register. Counting it is usually part of a cash- checking or cash-up process used to reconcile money against records.

Simple paraphrase

“After taking over the shift, I checked the finances and counted the cash that was there.”